Spotted Lanternfly on the Deck

I saw my first Spotted Lanternfly survey team in the watershed above Frederick in 2021, and saw my first Spotted Lanternfly “in the wild” in 2023. Now they’re in the yard.

Originally from China and North Korea, these things have colonized far enough, feed on so many trees and plants, and have so few natural enemies, that they are certainly here to stay. They’re a real threat to local vineyards and orchards, but also to Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven), Evodia danielii (Korean evodia), Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper), and Juglans mandshurica (Manchurian walnut). They can also feed on red and silver maple, and less often on oak, walnut, and poplar.